Wednesday, December 7, 2011

This semester of independent study in pottery saw the production of far more pieces than in the past, a result of primarily two things: a little bit more practice and a lot more time in the studio. There were also two primary themes I was working with: first, dinnerware, and second, the root problem aka abandonment of intention, retreat of volition, infraconscious expression, or refined doodling, which has been my method of creative expression for some time now. Though the entirety of this method is vastly indescribable (by design), the most common manifestation of it is in the attempt to relinquish as much conscious control over my actions as possible, thus limiting the expression of the ego (which has limited appeal outside my self). An attractive notion then is that instead of expressing myself (again, boring), I become a vehicle for universal expression, or for reality to express itself. One of the most important consequences of this is that, like a mirror, each product tells more about the observer than of its constructor; another is that the constructor is immune from criticism, and likewise, can never rightfully claim much responsibility for what has happened. This notion is much more readily apparent with paintings, since they are expected to be interpreted as depictions, and the interpretations vary (widely) not only with each individual, but in time for them as well. With ceramics the effect is certainly subtler, but it does seem as though the results are sufficiently whimsical to be considered applicable; yet, as always, this reality is up to you and you alone (consensus gathering is explicitly prohibited).

Every piece this semester was made with a mix of reprocessed cone 10 clay, and glaze fired in a reduction atmosphere at approximately cone 10 (depending on placement in the rather large kiln). All dimensions are given in centimeters, measured at the maximum and rounded to the nearest half.

As usual, you'll have to forgive my overexposure (etc.), photographing glossy, colorful pottery is still beyond my point and shoot skills, and larger pictures can be accessed by clicking on the respective image.

note: the "crack" is probably better described as a tear, caused by stressing the clay through rapidly increasing the diameter while throwing

tetralobular pot

D: 11, H: 10.5

temmoku, Vegas red

collapsing pitcher

D: 10.5, H: 9.5

peacock, splotchy lavender interior, angel eyes exterior

fruitless bowl

D: 20.5, H: 8.5

graphite, spudomene, beading glaze

notes: this is my submission for the semester project, "fruit-in-a-bowl," and it is also probably the best example of the root problem produced this semester. We were requested to construct at least three pieces of fruit, but in the course of abandoning intention, I also seemed to unintentionally eschew the construction. However, as is often the case with this modus, having regained my self and taken perspective, I believe the situation has been resolved regardless, as I cannot help but see the products of this series as the fruit of my labors, since they are all very sweet indeed.

lesson learned: I was afraid that the gap between the glaze and the kiln shelf might be insufficient to prevent the bowl from attaching itself to the shelf, but the 3-5 mm gap, wide foot, and lightweight walls seemed acceptable and I really wanted to retain the sense of a footless bowl that it might be dually bottomless. As it came to pass, the bowl sagged enough to reach the shelf. Thus, fairly significant sagging is to be expected.

note: the circles were drawn in a layer of slip on the wheel. The specifics of the drawing are an extension from my CS/math background, as this is roughly an algorithm/function I've been fascinated with and have written up a few times; the easiest way to achieve it is with a particular sine wave in polar coordinates. In this case, I just ran my finger from center to edge and back at as constant a rate as I could muster. This same procedure was used on all the plates, but with much less obvious results

I am, and will be for the foreseeable future, addicted to rutile blue and angel eyes, though clearly other glaze combinations are proving potential for similar vibrance. I don't see how I could possibly stop performing pottery at this point without some significant anguish and feeling of loss.